A Different Path
by Maltrazz
Summary: Miyano Shiho overhears a conversation that she never should have. This leads to Haibara Ai appearing even before Edogawa Conan. How will this effect the lives of Kudo Shinichi, Mouri Ran, and those around them? Will Miyano Akemi be saved? Pairing: Shiho/Ai x Shinichi/Conan.
1. For the Love of a Sister

**A Different Path**

**AN:** Alright, here is my first pure Detective Conan fanfic. I know, I know, if I am going to write for Detective Conan, then I should continue 'Death of a Detective, Birth of a Shinobi'. However, this idea hit me like a freight train, and demanded to be written. Since it is the perfect set up for my favorite pairing, Conan x Ai, it is quite enjoyable to write, too.

I will be using the JAPANESE names, as well as some Japanese words and suffixes. I will add translations for the words and suffixes, though.

And without further ado, I present the story.

* * *

Chapter 1: For the Love of a Sister

Miyano Shiho was annoyed. She was the head researcher for APTX-4869, important enough that she had her own code name, Sherry, yet her lab was in the very back of the top floor of the building she worked in. Sure, it helped with security, but did it have to be such a long walk?

However, as she is approaching the elevators, (she was grateful that she at least did not have to take the stairs,) she heard a familiar voice, as one of the elevators opened. Gin. The whole building is owned by the Organization, so it is not surprising to see him here, but the two have never gotten along. 'Then again,' she thought, 'Gin may just be a sadist that enjoys the misery of others.' So, she ducks into a nearby room, to avoid contact with him completely.

However, she can still hear his voice. "So, she thinks she can just leave the Organization, and take her sister with her? Ha! There is a reason that her sister has a codename, and she does not." Silence for a few moments, and Shiho realizes that he must be on his cell phone. "That makes sense; we get as much use out of her as we can, then silence the little brat." Silence again. "Of course, Boss, but it will be tricky. Sherry is smart; she may realize that the Organization was responsible for her sister's death."

Shiho froze. She did not hear any more, as her mind whirled. 'Akemi, he was talking about AKEMI!' She thought of rushing out of the room, attacking him, begging that he leave her Onee-chan (1) alone, any number of things. However, the logical side of her mind took over enough to hold her back. She did not know how long Akemi had, but Gin had mentioned "we get as much use out of her as we can", so it was likely that they wanted her to do something first, which gave Shiho at least a little time.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day that Gin will come to her lab for the monthly report, as well as to take first batch of APTX-4869 for field testing. She will confront him then.

* * *

Shiho stood patiently before the door to her lab, waiting for it to open. Or at least, that is how she appeared. On the inside, she was terrified. The seconds seemed to drag into hours, as her eyes repeated flicked to the clock on the wall. Had her Onee-chan's life not been on the line, she may have chuckled at the irony. One of the Organization's goals was to 'turn back time', and here she was wishing that it would speed up.

Finally, the door opened, and two familiar faces walked in. First was the one she had been waiting for, Gin. Behind him came Vodka, who she had never really had a problem with. 'Then again,' she could not help but think, 'how can you have an issue with someone, when they have all the personality of a brick wall?'

"I see we kept you waiting, Sherry. My most _sincere_ apologies." Although, by the tone of his voice and the smirk on his face, it was quite clear to Shiho that Gin was ANYTHING but sincere.

"You and I both know that you do not even know the meaning of the word sincere, Gin." She said with a neutral expression. Rather than be offended, though, the blonde's smirk merely widened. Picking up a folder, she handed it to Gin. "The monthly report." She said shortly.

Gin merely glanced at it, before handing it to Vodka. "And the pills? I am looking forward to testing their effectiveness." The look in his eyes left little doubt to Shiho that Gin would enjoy testing them FAR too much.

Despite the dirty feeling she felt whenever she thought about what her research was going to do to people, she grabbed the small metal case off the desk, and handed it to Gin. The man's cruel smile spread even further, as he opened the case and let his eyes slide over the red and white pills.

As the two men turned to leave the room, Shiho spoke up again. "When you give the report to 'that person' please let them know that I would like to see my sister again soon."

Gin turned back towards her, a malevolent glint in his eye, as he spoke. "Oh, didn't you hear? Your sister has been sent on a long term assignment. I am afraid that trying to contact her would blow her cover."

A determined note entered her voice. "Then I want to speak with her as soon as she gets back. How long will it be?" She knew that she could simply ask 'that person' herself, but as impossible as it may seem to an outsider, those within the organization knew the truth. If there was one person more dangerous to confront than Gin, it was 'that person'; the Boss of the Organization.

"Oh, she will be busy for a couple of months. Depending on how 'that person' feels, maybe he will let me send you to her afterwards." His tone left no doubt as to the meaning of his words.

Something in her mind snapped, and all of her logical thinking seemed to just disappear. "Bastard!" She snarled at him, catching both men by surprise. "I know what you are planning, and I will NOT let you harm Akemi!" Before either man could react, she continued on. "If so much as a hair on her head is harmed, I will never work on this accursed pill again!"

Gin recovered from the surprise quickly, a feral grin spreading across her face. "Gotten a bit arrogant, eh, Sherry?" Suddenly, his hand shot out of his pocket, lashing out with the gun gripped firmly in his hand, the barrel striking the side of her head.

Time seemed to slow as she fell, despair washing away her anger. 'How could I have been so stupid?' she found herself thinking. 'There is no escape from the Organization's judgment. But… maybe, just maybe, if I am gone, than they might spare Onee-chan. Please, please be alright, Onee-chan.'

Gin said something, but she could not understand it through the dizziness and pain. He raised the gun, but stopped when Vodka said something. She saw the cruel smirk twist into a scowl of annoyance. Grabbing her wrist, he pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and used them to shackle her to one of the sturdier pipes in the room. Pulling out his phone, he was already dialing as he swept out of the room. Her hearing finally clearing up, all she heard before the door closed was, "Vodka, clear the floor, while I contact 'that person'."

She thought she was about to die, but what if there was something worse planned for her? What if they were planning to hold her Onee-chan as a hostage, just to force her to make more of the accursed APTX-4869? At that moment she came to a decision. She did not know why she had done it at the time, but she had stored one of the pills in a hidden pocket inside her lab coat. Pulling it out with her free hand, she stared at the innocuous little red and white pill.

'If there is a chance, even the slightest chance, that my death will keep Onee-chan safe… there is not even a choice to make.' Hardening her resolve, she brought the pill to her trembling lips. The agonized thrashing of the lab rats told her that it would be quite painful. She slid the pill into her mouth. 'Last chance to back out…' Before she had a chance for her resolve to weaken further, she swallowed.

There was nothing for a moment, and then the pain blasted throughout her body. Agony like nothing she had ever felt before. It was like molten lead was coursing through her veins, like a furnace was trying to melt her very bones.

Nonetheless, she did not cry out. She was not sure why, but she felt the need to see this end before either of her 'colleagues' returned. The pain started to fade, the hellish heat subsiding. At first she felt nothing, and thought, 'Is this what death feels like?' Then, much to her shock, she felt her hand slip through the oddly loose handcuff, and impact the floor. She just laid there in shock, for a moment. 'Impossible! I couldn't have survived! Out of all the rats I tested on, less than one percent survived, and those…' She looked down at herself, raising her hand to see them more clearly as well. Sure enough, her body was much too small, the adult clothes far too loose.

Still somewhat dazed by the incredible unlikely situation she found herself in, she forced herself to think about what to do next. If she was caught now, there was little doubt that she would be held prisoner and experimented on. After all, if becoming a child again did not qualify as 'turning back time' she did not know what did. And if she was able to survive it, then chances were good Akemi may survive as well. At least, so long as her theory about it being reliant on a certain gene sequence was correct. Even if it was wrong, though, someone else was sure to come up with the same theory, and may try to test it using her Onee-chan.

Her only choice was escape. Escape AND find someone to help save her Onee-chan. There was only one door, and either Gin or Vodka could walk through it at any moment, so that was out. There was a window, but it was too high for her to get through in her current form, and even if she could, she was dozens of stories up. That was out, as well. Then, she spotted a ventilation duct. It was far too small for an adult to get through, but it her current form she could likely fit.

The cover was only pressure fit, so it was fairly easy to get off, as well as to replace it from the inside. No sooner had she started to crawl further into the tight passage, she heard the door open and Vodka's voice shout "Aniki!" (2). Ignoring it, she continued on.

* * *

It was already the middle of the afternoon by the time she made it outside via a rear door. Making her way away from the building as quickly as possible, she wracked her brain for what to do next. Going to the police is out of the question. Mostly because there is little chance of them believing her, due to her looking like a child. In addition, the Organization has many connections in the police force, and she does not want to risk running into one of them.

Another possibility would be a private detective, but, again, there is the problem with them believing her, as well as the fact that it was unlikely that a normal detective would be able to do anything against such a powerful and well established criminal Organization.

Then, inspiration struck. 'What if it was not a _normal_ detective?' she thought, as a smile graced her face for the first time in two days. '_He_ might be able to help me. I have never met him, but I have seen him on the news quite often. The 'Savior of the Japanese Police Force', the Famous High School Detective; Kudo Shinichi.' The smile faded slightly. 'I will still have to find a way to convince him that I am telling the truth, but he is my best chance of rescuing Akemi. Just hold on a little longer, Onee-chan.'

With that thought in mind, she changed directions, and started heading toward Beika City.

* * *

**AN:** Phew! That is literally my longest starting chapter yet. I hope you all enjoyed it! While my chapters may not be the longest out there, I hope that I usually make up for it with the originality. Please make sure to let me know what you think. ^_^

Also, if you are interested in hearing some of the other ideas I have had, but have not yet had the time/motivation to write out, just let me know. I love to share, and the ones posted on my profile are just the tip of the iceberg. Chances are, any that you like would be okay to take, too.

Until next time, ja ne! (3)

Notes/Translations: (1): Onee-chan is an informal, affectionate way of addressing an older sister.  
(2): Aniki: Bro, Older Brother, Boss. 'Boss' is likely the best translation for Vodka's use of it.  
(3): Ja ne: See you later.

Any flames will be used to like Gin's cigarettes.


	2. Arriving in Time?

**A Different Path**

**AN:** Here we go, chapter two! And both chapters have been fairly long, compared to my other stories, too. I hear that is a good thing. ^_^ This is the last chapter before we enter the same timeline as canon, but do not fear! I have come up with quite a unique way to avoid re-writing canon. Or, at least, unique to my knowledge.

Again, I will be using the JAPANESE names, as well as some Japanese words and suffixes. I will add translations for the words and suffixes, though.

Here is the second chapter.

* * *

Last time:

'What if it was not a _normal_ detective? _He_ might be able to help me. I have never met him, but I have seen him on the news quite often. The 'Savior of the Japanese Police Force', the Famous High School Detective; Kudo Shinichi. I will still have to find a way to convince him that I am telling the truth, but he is my best chance of rescuing Akemi. Just hold on a little longer, Onee-chan.'

* * *

Chapter 2: Arriving in Time?

It was late evening by the time Miyano Shiho reached Beika City. It was not until then that she realized that she did not know Kudo Shinichi's exact address. In addition, she had no idea what she was going to do if she could not convince him that she was telling the truth about her current state. She did remember that he lived in his parents' European style mansion, though, and she doubted that there were many of those in the area. With that thought, and no better ideas in mind, she started searching for such a house.

Just as the sun set, and Shiho was about to give up for the day, she found it. Trying the gate, she gave a small sigh of relief at finding it unlocked.

However, it seemed her efforts were all for naught. Consuming APTX-4869 had left her weary, and her fatigue had only grown as the day waned. She had gotten this far through sheer determination. However, as she stepped through the gate, her body finally failed her. She fell to her hands and knees, before they too gave out, and her face met the ground. She sighed, knowing that not stopping to get anything to eat or drink had not helped her fatigue at all. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'at least he will find me in the morning.' With that thought, she slipped into a doze right there on the ground.

* * *

Shinichi yawned, as he prepared himself for bed. He was taking his childhood friend Mouri Ran to Tropical Land tomorrow due to a bet, of sorts, so he was calling it an early night. As he ran through a mental checklist of things to do before going to sleep, he paused as he caught one he had missed. Turning to the front door, he thought, 'Kuso, (1) I forgot to lock the front gate.' Sliding off his slippers, and slipping on his shoes, he was glad that he had not yet changed into his sleepwear.

A few steps out the door, he noticed a misshapen lump just inside the gate. Thinking it was just some drunk that had stumbled his way in, Shinichi prepared to drive them off. However, as he got closer, he realized that the figure was too small to be an adult. With a growing sense of apprehension, he hurried over to the slumped form. Though she was wearing adult clothes, they were far too large on her small form, which would not have looked out of place in a primary school. What struck him the most, though, was her reddish-brown crop of hair. 'Cinnamon' was the first thing he thought upon seeing it.

Kneeling beside her, he gently shook her shoulder. "Oi, Are you alright?"

A bleary eye cracked open, taking a moment to focus on his face, before both snapped open wide, and a dry voice croaked out, "Kudo… Shinichi?"

Shinichi was fairly certain that he had never met this girl before, and he certainly hoped none of his fangirls were this young. His face had been in the news on occasion, though, so it was not too surprising that she would recognize him. Plus, it reduced the chances that she had appeared at his home accidentally. Not knowing if she was injured, but not seeing anything obvious, he carefully lifted her up. "Let's get you inside."

A few minutes later found them on the couch in his living room. Shinichi looked on with a concerned expression as the girl greedily gulped down a glass of water. When he expressed his concern about her being injured, she had informed him that she was just "suffering from severe dehydration and slight malnourishment brought about by lack of foresight." 'Really,' Shinichi thought with a lopsided grin, 'since when do primary school students use words like 'dehydration' or 'malnourishment', or even 'foresight'.' His detective mind automatically started to analyze the girl. 'Although the over-sized clothes might suggest she was homeless, that is rendered less likely by her advanced vocabulary. That, combined with the fact that she recognized me immediately suggests that she specifically sought me out, but why? Judging by how eagerly she drank the cup of water, and her earlier comments, I doubt that she has had much, if anything, to eat or drink all day. Is she being pursued?'

His thoughts were interrupted there, as he realized that she had finished drinking the water. She was returning his scrutiny with a slightly amused expression, one eyebrow raised. Her lips sliding easily into a smirk that seemed out of place on such a young face, she asked, "Figure out anything interesting, Tantei-san?" (2)

Shinichi scratched the back of his head in embarrassment at being caught. "Well, I was just curious as to why such an interesting girl showed up at my house, Keihi-chan." (3)

She looked confused for a moment, before her face transformed into an annoyed scowl. The effect was ruined, however, by the light blush on her cheeks. "My name is Miyano. Shiho Miyano."

Shinichi's curiosity grew at that. Most children gave their given mane first, and their family name as an afterthought, if at all. This girl, however, gave her family name first, the way someone his own age or older would. Shinichi decided to start off with the most obvious question first. "If you do not mind me asking, why are you wearing such over-sized clothes?"

Shinichi was worried that she might get upset or offended at the question, depending on her circumstances, but he was not expecting her to become amused again. "Believe it or not, these clothes fit me perfectly not even 24 hours ago."

"Last time I checked, clothes did not just spontaneously grow larger." He said skeptically.

A completely serious expression settled over her face as Shiho spoke again. "Before this morning, I did not think that adults could spontaneously get smaller." Shinichi's eyes grew wide at the implications behind her statement. Her eyes tracked off to the side slightly, and her next words were more to herself than to him, but were still perfectly audible. "Or would it be get younger? The proportions do seem to be different. Regardless, it is not really spontaneous since it was due to that _accursed drug_." Shinichi could practically feel the venom dripping off of her tongue on the last few words. Shiho's tone grew bitter. "Still, it is better than an agonizing death, I suppose."

Shinichi's expression grew serious at the words 'accursed drug' and 'agonizing death'. He still did not have all the pieces of the puzzle this Miyano Shiho's appearance presented, but regardless of whether or not she was telling the truth about having been an adult, anything involving drugs or what sounded like attempted murder was definitely worth paying attention to.

"Maybe you should start at the beginning, Miyano-san." Shiho could not hide the sense of relief she felt, as his tone said that he was willing to believe her… at least, for now.

"My name is Miyano Shiho, codename Sherry." She paused for a moment as his eyes narrowed at the mention of a codename.

Shinichi thought, 'Usually the only adults that use codenames are either government or criminal organizations. Either way, she must be connected to something big. It also means that I likely will not be able to count on the police without hard evidence.'

Shiho continued. "Despite how I appear, I am actually 18 years old. Both of my parents were part of a criminal organization, thus my sister and I have practically been raised by said organization. I was sent to the States for my education, and graduated early from college. My parents died shortly after I was born, so I returned to Japan to continue their work." Seeing Shinichi's expression, she responded to his unanswered question. "They were working on a potent drug."

"Drugs?" Shinichi interrupted. Drugs were a problem in all large cities, and Tokyo was no exception.

Shiho gave a sharp mocking laugh. "Not what you are thinking of, Tantei-san. Something far more dangerous. Due to the nature of the drug, as well as the number of other drugs the Organization had developed, as well as failed formulas still on record, the drug was designated apotoxin-4869, or abbreviated APTX-4869. Officially it was a drug with a 100 percent lethality rate, which left no trace in the victim afterwards."

"Officially?" He asked.

Shiho nodded. "In truth, there have been two survivors. First was one of the 200 lab rats that were tested survived, shrinking instead of dying."

Shinichi was confident he knew the answer, but felt the need to confirm it, nonetheless. "And the second?"

Shiho looked down at the empty water cup in her hands, but before she did, Shinichi thought he caught a flicker of guilt run across her face. In a quiet voice, she say, "She is sitting in front of you."

"I see, they turned on you after you finished the drug for them, and tried to get rid of you with your own creation."

"No, they-" Suddenly, a yawn escaped her mouth, interrupting her.

A gentle smile crept across Shinichi's face. "You look like you have had a long day. You can finish telling me about this 'Organization' tomorrow. After all, if they are large and powerful enough to support the kind of research you are talking about, then they are not going to disappear overnight."

Shiho wanted to stop him, to tell him that it was about her sister, not herself, but before she could open her mouth, something Gin said echoed from her memory. _"Oh, she will be busy for a couple of months. Depending on how 'that person' feels, maybe he will let me send you to her afterwards."_ She had not felt that he was lying to her, at all. So, her Onee-chan should be safe, for a time. At least, as long as her own actions did not change that.

Shinichi helped her off the couch, saying something about some of his old things likely fitting her new form. As they moved towards the guest room, the two were thinking very different thoughts. Shinichi was thinking about how Ran would kill him if he tried to duck out on their trip to Tropical Land, despite how important this case likely was. Shiho was thinking about how fortunate it was she was able to get Kudo Shinichi to believe her, and hoping that her Onee-chan was still all right.

After changing into the child sized pajamas the teenager brought to her, she settled into the surprisingly comfortable bed. As she drifted off, she thought to herself, 'Maybe it is best to get a good night's sleep first. This way, I can make sure that my mind is clearer, so I do not leave out any important details. Rushing too quickly against the Organization will only ensure failure. I have to do everything I can to help him, if there is to be even a chance of saving Onee-chan. If I am right, and Gin was telling the truth, then we have time before she will be in danger.'

'After all, if her mission is to last for months, then it is not like one more day is going to make a difference, right?'

* * *

**AN:** Here you go! Not much to say for this one. How did you like Shinichi's nickname for Shiho?

There is one important point to address. Due to events that have already happened, and more that will occur next chapter, I MAY be using different aliases for Shiho and Shinichi. It will likely not be decided for certain until chapter 4, but in the meantime, I would like to know what you all think. Thus, I will be putting a poll in regard to the issue on my profile.

Also, if you are interested in hearing some of the other ideas I have had, but have not yet had the time/motivation to write out, just let me know. I love to share, and the ones posted on my profile are just the tip of the iceberg. Chances are, any that you like would be okay to take, too.

Until next time, ja ne!

Notes/Translations: (1): Kuso: A Japanese swear word. It literally means 'shit'.  
(2): Tantei-san: Mr. Detective  
(3): Keihi means 'cinnamon', so he is basically calling her 'Little Cinnamon', due to her hair.

Any flames will be used to like Gin's cigarettes.


	3. But For a Broken Shoelace

**A Different Path**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Detective Conan, Case Closed, or any of the characters therein.

**AN:** Have no fear, your update is here! Several of you wonderful reviewers have expressed curiosity as to whether or not Shinichi will be joining Shiho in a state of chibification while at Tropical Land with Ran. This chapter will answer that question!

Also, some of you have expressed concern about Haibara not being as cold, and being more open with information, than in canon. The reason is simple: her sister Akemi is still alive. She is not as cold, because she still has hope to save the last member of her family. She is more open with information, because she is desperate to save said family. As long as that hope remains, expect to see more of her playful, teasing side, and less of her depressed, pessimistic side. (Both will still be present, though.) And it still remains to be seen if her actions will be enough to keep that hope alive.

**IMPORTANT NOTE:** I will be drawing elements from both the anime and the manga for this story. For example, the title of this chapter references something that happens in the anime, but not the manga.

And now, I present to you, the most suspenseful chapter yet!

* * *

Last time:

'Maybe it is best to get a good night's sleep first. This way, I can make sure that my mind is clearer, so I do not leave out any important details. Rushing too quickly against the Organization will only ensure failure. I have to do everything I can to help him, if there is to be even a chance of saving Onee-chan. If I am right, and Gin was telling the truth, then we have time before she will be in danger.'

'After all, if her mission is to last for months, then it is not like one more day is going to make a difference, right?'

* * *

Chapter 2: But For a Broken Shoelace

Shiho quickly decided that she had had better mornings. She woke up not to her alarm clock, but rather to the sounds of someone moving around outside her room. As if that were not enough, she was not in her usual bedroom, nor in her usual nightgown. The weirdest part, though, was how the room and bed seemed to be bigger than they should be.

It was then that the events of the previous day came back to her. Confronting Gin. Taking Apotoxin-4869. Becoming a child again. Running away from the Organization. Finding Kudo Shinichi…

'And then falling asleep before I could tell him anything useful. Definitely not one of my best moments.' Scowling, she glared downward. 'Stupid child body… wait, what am I wearing?' Tossing her blanket aside, she couldn't keep her eye from twitching in annoyance at the magnifying glasses, pipes, and deerstalker hats that covered her sleepwear. Even someone like her who had never been a fan of the books could immediately tell what character was represented. 'Ugh, it practically screams Sherlock Holmes. These pajamas must have belonged to that detective when he was younger.'

Looking out the window, she only became more annoyed by how low the sun was on the horizon. She may have had to get up early to work at the lab, but she had never been a morning person. Deciding that she may as well get up so that she could discuss things further with Kudo, she got out of bed. Not seeing any point in putting on the over-sized clothing she wore before, and having nothing else to change into, she left the room in the borrowed pajamas.

The guest room was on the second floor, so she made her way down to the kitchen, where the noise seemed to be emanating from. When she arrived, she found her host working on a simple breakfast of rice and fish.

Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Shinichi saw his miniature client enter the room. "Good morning, Miyano-san(1). I made enough for both of us, so feel free to take a seat. I'll be done in just a moment."

Watching his deft movements as he finished up, Shiho felt the need to comment. "You seem to have had quite a bit of practice at this. Judging by the fact that I have yet to see either of your parents, and the fact that you never asked their permission before inviting me to stay the night, they must not be home very often."

Shinichi looked surprised, before a grin spread on his face. "That's right. Looks like you could be a detective yourself."

Shiho rolled her eyes. "Hardly. It is a scientist's job to make observations and draw conclusions from them. I merely applied those skills to a less scientific situation."

The conversation waned as they ate. When they finished up, Shiho spoke once more. "As pleasant as this has been, we have more important things to discuss." Shinichi's face turned serious as he collected the dishes. He gave a nod for her to continue. "Last night, you came to an erroneous conclusion. I was not poisoned by them ones I worked for. I took Apotoxin-4869 myself." Seeing the detective's shocked expression, she pressed onward. "It was for the sake of my sister, but I have to go back a bit for it to make sense."

Shinichi sat across from her, giving her his full attention, so she continued. "Like myself, my older sister Miyano Akemi was practically raised by the Organization, but she had never been content being one of their pawns. The day before yesterday, I overheard one of the other agents, codename Gin, on his phone. My sister had apparently made a deal with 'that person', the Boss of the Organization, in order for them to let both her and myself cut ties with them. However, no one escapes the Organization. They planned to double-cross her from the beginning. Gin, the top assassin in the Organization, was tasked to kill Akemi after she completed one final mission.

"My emotions got the better of rational thought, and I confronted Gin about it yesterday morning. It did not go well. I was chained up in my lab, and had a choice: wait to discover what fate 'that person' decided on for me, or use the single APTX-4869 pill that I had hidden to try and save my sister. After all, compared to me, my sister was not very important to the Organization, so with my death, she might be spared."

She was interrupted by a snort. "If what you have told me about this Organization is true, then even with your death, they probably would have still killed your sister. However, you're not dead, and that means we still have a chance to save her."

Feeling her hope swell at the detective's declaration, she showed the first real smile since she arrived. "Thank you."

Shinichi was surprised at how much that smile changed the face that had only been serious or sarcastic up until that point. Shaking the thought out of his head, he said, "We need to get a lead on them before we can find your sister, though. Any idea where to start?"

Shiho thought for a moment. "The building where my lab was would probably be the first place to check. Unless they purged it due to my escape."

"Purged…" Shinichi said with a frown, before reaching for the morning newspaper that he had set on the counter after he collected it when he first woke up. "It wouldn't happen to be this building, would it?"

Shiho took the paper. Sure enough, the front page story was about a building that had burned down overnight, the picture revealing it to be the same building her lab had been in. "Yes, that is the building. The Organization is ruthlessly efficient. They have grown as large as they are because they never leave loose ends. This was the only place I ever worked for them, so I have no idea where else to start looking."

Shinichi brought one hand to his chin as he thought. "Then our best bet would be to get a lead on one of their members."

Shiho spoke up here. "The members with codenames are the most important, but also the most dangerous. One way to find them is that they always wear black, unless they are in disguise for a mission."

"Black, huh?" However, he was pulled violently from his thought by the sound of the front door opening, and an annoyed female voice calling out.

"SHINICHI! Aren't you ready yet?! We agreed to meet up to go to Tropical Land at 10 a.m.!"

Looking at his watch, Shinichi went wide eyed and grimaced. Sure enough, it was already 10:05. Trying to jump up from his chair, he only managed to trip over it and fall on his face, causing Shiho to look down at him with an amused smirk.

It was this scene that Shinichi's childhood friend Mouri Ran walked in on. Ran just stared at the fallen detective for a moment. "Um, what happened?" Then she noticed the 'young' girl still seated at the table. "Oh, who is this?"

Shinichi jumped back to his feet. "Oh, this is the daughter of a client. Her name is, uh…" His eyes quickly darted around the room looking for inspiration. It wasn't that he didn't trust Ran, but he couldn't rely on her to keep Shiho's identity a secret without explaining everything, and that would put Ran in danger, too. Then his eyes landed on a book he had left on the table the night before. It was a foreign mystery novel by Sara Paretsky, featuring the character V.I. Warshawsky, and the fact that the book was upside-down gave him an idea. "Her name is Ai, Keihi Ai." He could practically feel the glare coming at him from the shrunken scientist, for bringing up that name again. "She is in danger from some people targeting her parents, and they want me to keep an eye on her until the criminals are caught."

Ran frowned slightly. She had really been looking forward to spending the day with Shinichi, but she could hardly fault him for protecting a child. Then a smile lit up her face as an idea struck. She walked over to 'Ai' and leaned down to her level, not realizing how much it annoyed the other girl. "Well then, why don't you come with us? We were just about to head to Tropical Land."

"Pass." Ran was surprised at how quickly she responded. Most kids would jump at the opportunity to go to an amusement park. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your date."

Both of the full-sized teenagers blushed at that, and Shinichi responded. "It's not a date! I just sort of lost a bet to her."

"Yeah, yeah." Ai's face turned serious again. "You may not have any leads, but make sure you watch out for black clothing."

Shinichi nodded, and he and Ran headed to the door. Just as they were putting their shoes on, Ai showed up again. "I don't suppose you have any clothes I could borrow, do you Kudo-san?"

Looking at her, Shinichi realized that she was still in the pajamas he lent her. "That's right, you weren't able to bring any extra clothes. Well, none of my mom's stuff would fit you, but if you don't mind wearing boy's clothes for a bit, you can find some of my old clothes in the closet of the guest room. We'll get you some new clothes tomorrow."

Ai nodded and was about to leave when she noticed something. "Onee-san(2), you should get a new shoelace. That one looks like it is about to break."

Ran looked down, and sure enough, one of the laces on her sneakers was almost worn through. Shinichi said, "Don't worry, I'll get you a new one."

Once that was taken care of, they headed out. Shiho couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong, though.

* * *

Ran was worried. Shinichi had been able to solve the murder on the Mystery Coaster fairly easily, but he had been acting oddly ever since they got on the ride. He kept glancing at the two strange men in black ever since they showed up, and now that they were leaving the crime scene, Shinichi seemed worried about something.

Shinichi turned to her. "You go ahead Ran. I have to take care of something, but I will catch up with you in a bit." With that said, he headed off in the same direction those two suspicious men had headed.

Ran hesitated a moment, before an uneasy feeling swept over her, like she might never see him again. She started to chase after him, only to stumble. Her old shoelace would have broken, causing her to lose him as she fixed it, but her new one held, and she was able to follow Shinichi through the park.

* * *

Shiho couldn't take it anymore. All day, she had a feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Now, she decided that she had had enough waiting around. Dressed in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, a jacket, and a ball cap, she headed out to find the detective that she had placed her faith in.

By the time she reached Tropical Land, it was already getting dark. She knew that there was a possibility that Kudo had already left, but she had learned to trust her instinct over the last couple of days. So, she set out to find him.

* * *

Shinichi peeked around a corner, and saw one of men in black from the coaster. He was talking to an overweight man in a suit. He could not hear everything that was said, but he could make out enough to tell that the man in black was blackmailing the business man over actual gun smuggling!

He took out a disposable camera, made sure the flash was off, and took a couple of pictures. Just when he was about to leave though, another voice called out behind him. "Your detective game… IS OVER!" and then a sharp pain as something solid – probably a metal pipe – came down on the back of his head.

Falling to the ground in a half-conscious daze, the next few moments were a blur. There was a feminine cry of "Shinichi, no!", several sounds of flesh impacting flesh, and finally the sound of a more solid impact. Then, someone else fell to the ground in front of him, blood matting her long brunette hair. 'It can't be… Ran!?'

Before his thoughts could get any farther, though, their assailants spoke once more. "The little brat was tailing us, and his girlfriend has some decent power in those kicks." Shinichi recognized the voice as belonging to the man with platinum blond hair, whom the other had referred to as 'Aniki'.

"Should we kill 'em?" The other asked.

"No, No guns! The police are still around from that earlier mess. We'll use the gift that Sherry was kind enough to leave us with, before falling victim to stupidity. We'll let this detective brat be our first human guinea pig. His girlfriend can be the second." Shinichi felt something slide into his mouth, before a liquid was poured in, forcing him to swallow. "Sayonara, Tantei-san!(3)"

There was peace for a moment, as the men in black left. Then, the pain in his head was replaced by a searing agony throughout his entire body, causing him to cry out. Judging by the cries coming from beside him, he knew Ran must be undergoing a similar torture. Something Shiho had said the night before came back to him. 'Still, it is better than an agonizing death, I suppose.' This must have been what she meant.

Just when he thought he couldn't take any more, darkness enveloped him, and he lost consciousness.

* * *

Shiho felt like she had run all over the park, and was just about to give up, when she heard a strangled cry from nearby. Fearing the worst, she ran to investigate, only to run into someone as she turned a corner. Due to her current form being much smaller, she fell while the person she hit stayed standing. Rather than a hand up, though, the person only gave her five words.

"Watch where you're going, brat."

Shiho froze. There was only one man she knew of, that spoke with that particularly malicious tone. Hoping that she was wrong, she opened her eyes, only to see black boots, and an equally black trench coat. All these things taken together, and it was too much to be a coincidence. It had to be him.

Gin.

* * *

Shinichi was surprised when he woke up. This was mostly due to the fact that he woke up at all. Sitting up, the first thing he noticed was that there was a group of policemen around him. 'This is great! If they can catch those men in black while they still have the money from the blackmail, there is no way they can get out of it! I just have to tell them which way they went, and… wait, why do they seem so big?' Then it hit him.

'Before this morning, I did not think that adults could spontaneously get smaller.' 'It was due to that _accursed drug_.'

Looking down at himself, he saw that it was as he feared, his clothes pooling around his much too small form.

As if that were not enough, a voice spoke up from beside him. "Sh-Shinichi? I-Is that you?" Looking to the voice, he saw Ran.

The only problem was that the last time Ran had looked like that, they were seven years old.

* * *

**AN:** Wow… I love giving a good cliffhanger, but I almost feel bad about this one. I guess that means I just need to get the next chapter out faster, huh?

Now, before any of you ask 'But isn't the possibility of surviving less than one percent? What are the odds that both Shinichi AND Ran would survive it?' There is a reason for this, but you will have to wait for next chapter in order to get said reason. Sorry. Feel free to guess, though. If anyone gets it right, they will receive recognition at the start of next chapter.

Until next time, ja ne!

Notes/Translations: (1): -san: Formal way of addressing someone. Equivalent of Ms./Mrs./Mr.

(2): Onee-san: a formal way of addressing an older sister, or a young woman whose name you do not know.

(3): Sayonara, Tantei-san!: means 'Goodbye, Mr. Detective!' I just think it sounds better in Japanese. ^_^

Any flames will be used to like Gin's cigarettes.


End file.
